Desert RATS Bio 2018 – Anne Thilges

Hopping over from the Western States home in Auburn, California, Anne Thilges is veteran of >30 Ironman triathlons and mentee of ultra-legend Ann Trason.

Marital Status: Married

Number of Children: One resident dog and always one or two foster dogs. Does that count?

Occupation: Business consultant and part-time endurance coach

Years running: 40 years. Oh my!

Years running ultras: My first marathon was in 1988 (30 years ago) and my first ultra (55km) was 1995 (23 years ago)

Ultras I have done: Royal National Park (NSW, Australia) was my first Rio Del Lago 100 mile was my only 100 More than 30 ironman triathlons (including Kona, the world championships) Two off-road iron-distance triathlons (that’s all trail) Lots of 50’s (kms or miles) and anything on trail

Favorite race and why: Right now my favorite race is Desert RATS Kokopelli…. because my favorite is always “my next one”. I love the planning, the training, the anticipation.

Best results in races: I am most proud that I have been running for decades and I still love it.

Tell us something about yourself, running related or other: I have a mentor to help me prepare for this race…. Anne Trason. She is an ultra running legend! So if you have any questions for her, let me know and I will pass them on.

What’s your favorite way to train for Desert RATS: Some weeks I do an extra long run and other weeks I do a series of 4-6 days of “medium long”. This way I am training for both aspects of the stage challenge.

What are your goals for Desert RATS: I hope that when I finish, I am happy and in good enough condition to immediately look forward to next year’s race.